Council. Tax 2015/16

Transcription

1 Council Tax 2015/16

2 CASH SAVINGS OF 12.8M IN 2015/16

3 Your PCC As your Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) I am committed to maintaining our police performance at its currently high level. However, continued reductions in Government grant may require some major restructuring within Thames Valley Police. The 2015/16 budget includes significant cash savings of 12.8m and I am confident that these can be delivered, but this level of budget reduction will inevitably have some impact on frontline policing and community safety services. It is within this context I have increased the council tax precept by 1.99%. This is the equivalent to a rise of 3.19 over the year for a band D household, less than the cost of a pint of beer. I am working with the Force to address the critical funding situation in future years with additional cash savings of at least 33m required in 2016/17 and 2017/18, of which 22m still need to be identified. This will be on top of the 71m already saved since Thames Valley Police has a good track record in meeting these financial challenges. Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) rated the force outstanding for taking the necessary steps to ensure a secure financial position for the short and long term but the next three years will be more difficult. It will require leadership, innovation and resource management skills to take Thames Valley Police through this period of significantly reduced budgets without compromising performance. Our current Chief Constable, Sara Thornton, leaves at the end of March I am currently in the process of recruiting a new Chief Constable who can successfully lead Thames Valley Police through this difficult financial period. Anthony Stansfeld Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley

4 8 online safety. crime groups 8 26 Police and Crime Plan After his election the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) issued a Police and Crime Plan which covers the term the PCC will be in office ( ). Last year the PCC refreshed his plan to take into account emerging issues and priorities. The current objectives for the Thames Valley are: Cut crimes that are of most concern to the public and reduce reoffending. Protecting vulnerable people. Work with partner agencies to put victims and witnesses at the heart of the Criminal Justice System. Ensure police and partners are visible, act with integrity and foster the trust and confidence of communities. Communicate with the public to learn of their concerns, help to prevent crime and reduce their fear of crime. Protect the public from serious organised crime, terrorism and internet based crime. THAMES VALLEY POLICE LOCAL POLICE AREAS Aylesbury Vale 8 Slough 2 Bracknell Forest 9 South Oxfordshire 3 Cherwell and West Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire 4 Chiltern and South 5 Milton Keynes 6 Oxford 7 Reading and Vale of White Horse 10 West Berkshire 11 Windsor and Maidenhead 12 Wokingham 13 Wycombe 2. The Thames Valley Policing area Thames Valley Police area is the largest non-metropolitan force area in England and Wales, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. It covers a population of 2.3 million people from diverse social, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds across both urban and rural geographical areas as well as 6 million annual visitors to the area. The Thames Valley comprises of two County Councils, i.e. Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and seven Unitary Authorities, being Bracknell Forest, Milton Keynes, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. Each of these local authority areas has a Community Safety Partnership, Youth Offending Team, Health and Wellbeing Board and Adult and Children Safeguarding Boards. The eight district councils within Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire also have their own Community Safety Partnerships who report to their respective County Partnerships. The Thames Valley Police Force is divided into 13 Local Policing Areas (LPAs). The LPAs are responsible for delivering local policing services across 108 neighbourhoods that address local priorities. Specialist departments deliver the full range of other force-wide policing functions. The Thames Valley Police staff establishment for 2014/15 comprises 4,186 police officers, 488 PCSOs and 550 special constables to carry out policing activity with the support of 2,626 police staff. The workforce is supplemented by more than 500 volunteers. The PCC will work closely with his statutory partners in the community safety and criminal justice service sectors to meet the policing and crime reduction needs of the communities who make up the Thames Valley area, and to achieve the strategic priorities and objectives set out in this plan. This will be achieved by: Working with partners and national agencies to reduce harm caused to communities by serious organised crime Counter the threat posed by terrorism Promote awareness of internet based cyber-crime and improve The PCC will measure success in delivering this objective based on:- Strategic Objective 6: PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM SERIOUS ORGANISED CRIME, TERRORISM AND INTERNET BASED CRIME The number of successful disruptions of serious organised Ensure community safety partnerships are engaged in tackling serious organised crime across Thames Valley Improvements to the Action Fraud process identified and implemented Working with regional and national agencies to develop and improve the Force s response to Cyber crime The police achieving a minimum of 168 cash detention orders. OVERARCHING PRIORITIES In addition to the strategic objectives, the PCC is committed to the following overarching priorities: Increasing efficiency and effectiveness of policing and other services Improve partnership working and make effective use of collaboration opportunities Adopt evidence based services/approaches Improve transparency. Police & Crime Plan for the Thames Valley (2014 REFRESH)

5 PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE, CUTTING CRIME, SUPPORTING VICTIMS

6 Key achievements Over the last year we have seen a number of policing and crime achievements in the Thames Valley that have made a real difference to communities. Some headlines include: Significant reductions in overall crime, with crime in the Thames Valley at its lowest level in 25 years.* Domestic burglary is at a 40-year low with figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (April 2014 September 2014) showing that domestic burglary offences have reduced by 20 per cent compared to a national reduction of 8 per cent. NFU Mutual figures show that rural crime in the Thames Valley has reduced by 19 per cent in the Thames Valley compared to a 5.2 per cent increase nationally. The PCC has allocated over 2m to support victims and witnesses in 2014/15. This funding has been used to grant fund organisations that support victims of crime and to prepare for the commissioning in 2015/16. Local Mental Health Crisis Care Concordats have been signed throughout the Thames Valley. The concordats set out how organisations, including police, will work together to make sure that people get the help they need when they are having a mental healthrelated crisis. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) have now been set up in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes to assist agencies in working together to protect vulnerable people from harm, neglect and abuse. MASHs will be set up in Berkshire in 2015/16. The PCC and the Chief Constable awarded over 187,000 from the Police Property Act Fund to 62 charities and community groups across the Thames Valley whose work contributes towards reducing crime and/or supports delivery of the PCC s Police and Crime Plan objectives. Identified and delivered 13.1m of cash savings in 2014/15. *This excludes fraud which is dealt with by Action Fraud.

7 Services for Victims and Witnesses In October 2014, Police and Crime Commissioner s (PCCs) across the country took responsibility for commissioning new support services for victims of crime. PCCs are responsible for commissioning a victim referral mechanism including onward support, a range of specialist services for victims of crime in the Thames Valley and a victim-led Restorative Justice service. A considerable amount of preparatory work has been undertaken in the Office of the PCC to determine how to best meet the needs of victims in the Thames Valley. Prior to April 2015 the PCC for Thames Valley, Anthony Stansfeld, had been providing transitional grant funding for services before moving to fully commissioned services. During this period some new innovative approaches were funded on a pilot basis, for example support for victims of exploitation and slavery. The PCCs for Surrey, Sussex and Thames Valley have worked together in a consortium to commission the victim referral mechanism and the contract for this service has been awarded to Victim Support, beginning on 1 April Extensive research has been undertaken, including a number of focus groups with victims of crime, to identify which specialist services should be commissioned by the PCC. The priority areas where specialist services are or will be commissioned are: victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual assault, young victims of crime, psychological counselling, victimcentred restorative justice and a third party reporting mechanism for victims of hate crime. For more information on the PCCs Victims services visit the PCC website.

8 Budget 2015/16 The net revenue budget for 2015/16 is m which represents an annual reduction of 4.571m or 1.18%. The PCC has increased his element of the council tax by 1.99%. For a band D household this means an extra 3.19 a year or 6 pence per week. This will help the PCC to protect frontline policing and to deliver his key strategic objectives. The budget also incorporates over 12.8m of productivity strategy cash savings. 2014/ /16 Total m per head Total m per head Gross expenditure Income Contribution from reserves Net expenditure Less: Formula grant Specific grants Police grant Council tax from previous years Precept The police precept for each council tax band is: Property Band PCC Element of the Council Tax Property Band PCC Element of the Council Tax A E B F C G D H

9 Budget Budget savings Namust, Due to the cuptiis current quiditam Government s et, optatem eium continuing qui unduntiorit austerity dolesti programme, duciam which idelit invellab involves iuscidu reductions cietus, voloriae in public mi. spending, the police service Offic is required tecte es to dolor make molor significant molorep cash edion sequam savings in cuptate its mporpor operational eperio budget dolorenima each year due vollum to quid cutbacks et acessi in quatem dolutaque government landuntor alit grant quae funding. rehenda nditas aceatuscilit qui ne se simus, Fortunately cullandios Thames et. Valley Police has an Nem excellent untiosam, track record eniscip sandem of reducing quam, costs nobitate and improving omnihite a dit liquo tem efficiency quam through dolore odit its Productivity volore estrupicit Strategy. aut faciam rest, conet quatiustiis Over the last arum four veria years et enis (2011/12 aperio. to 2014/15) savings of 59m have been identified and delivered. Although the savings process is becoming ever more complex and challenging, additional savings of 12.8m will be removed from the base budget in 2015/16. These include: Review of Thames Valley Police structure including how we can make best use of technology. Value for money reviews including property costs. Review of remuneration and conditions of service. Review of roles not requiring police powers. By recruiting student officers who have already completed their foundation training. Further details on all these savings can be found on the PCC s website. 59m savings delivered -over the last 4 years

10 Medium Term Financial Plan In addition to setting the annual budget the PCC also takes a longer-term view of the spending pressures facing the organisation. Given the significant and ongoing funding reductions we are facing this forward planning is more important than ever. Government grant reductions likely to continue until at least Our current planning assumption is that government grants will continue to be cut by 5 per cent per year and the annual increase in council tax precept will be limited to 2 per cent. In addition, abolition of the contracted out National Insurance thresholds will cost Thames Valley Police 6.4m in 2016/17. Further budget cuts of at least 33m will be required in 2016/17 and 2017/18, of which 22m still needs to be identified. The savings process is becoming more complex and challenging. A significant reduction in police officer and police staff posts is likely. More detailed information on the Medium Term Financial Plan can be found in the 2015/16 Budget Book. 33m further budget cuts -required by 2018

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12 About us For further information about the PCC, his Police and Crime Plan, the budget or how you can have your say, get in touch with us using the contact details provided below. Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, The Farmhouse, Force Headquarters Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxon. OX5 2NX. Tel: E: W: thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk If you would like this publication in any other format please pcc@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk Designed by Corporate Communications CI4790. Thames Valley Police 2015 TVP831 (02/15).